Crossbar crosspoint matrix with vibration damping means



Sept. 22, 1970 P. LUCAS El AL CROSSBAR CROSSPOINT MATRIX WITH VIBRATION DAMPING MEANS Filed Aug. 26, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 SAUTEL ATTOENEY Se t. 22, 1970 P. M. LYUCAS EIAL 3,530,269

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INVENTORS Pie rre M. LUCAS and Aug,us te A. SAUTEL By 18f United States Patent 3,530,269 CROSSBAR CROSSPOINT MATRIX WITH VIBRATION DAMPING MEANS Pierre M. Lucas, 20 Rue Tariel, 92 Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, and Auguste A. Saute], 13 Rue Anatole, 94 Bonneuil-snr-Marne, France Filed Aug. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 755,259 Claims priority, applicatigon France, Aug. 31, 1967,

11 Int. Cl. H01h 67/02 US. Cl. 200-175 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to switches incorporating selection based on co-ordinates, being switches of the so-called cross-bar type in particular.

It is known that the crosspoints of the selector pattern or matrixes of cross-bar switches consist, as a rule, of sets of working contacts between stationary blades ganged along one co-ordinate and displaceable blades ganged along the other, and actuated by means of flexible selector pins correspondingly co-ordinated individually with these, by manipulation of rectangular co-ordinate bars situated in parallel planes.

It is known in particular from U.S. Patent No. 3,373,- 384 issued Mar. 12, 1968 in the name of the two present applicants, that a crosspoint may be brought into operation in a switch employing selection on the bases of coordinates by actuation of two so-called co-ordinate bars, and that it may be reset to rest by actuation of one only of these, the two bars being in their idle position at any other time.

The advantage of having available crosspoints possessing several contacts however involves a definite degree of complication of the crosspoints as such, and of the ganging of their contacts.

The invention has as its object to simplify the selector patterns or matrixes of the so-called co-ordinate selection switches, and more specifically of the switches of the kind in which a crosspoint may be brought into action by operating two co-ordinate bars and rendered inoperative by operating one only of these bars, the said two bars being in their idle position at any other time.

A feature of the selector matrixes according to the invention is that their crosspoints each comprise a single contact only, the latter being established between the two co-ordinate bars which intersect thereat and which equally act as multipling leads, by means of a flexible selector pin which is borne by one of them and equally acts as an element for mechanical maintenance of the contact established.

Another feature of the selector matrixes according to the invention is that the connection of a point of intersection is established by means of longitudinal displacements of small magnitude and short duration of the co-ordinate bars which return to the idle position as soon as their interconnection is made by resilient abutment of the selector pin.

exert a substantial pressure.

Another feature of the selector matrixes according to the invention is that they comprisemeans for damping the vibrations of the selector pins which are released suddenly during the disconnecting action.

According to the invention, a selector matrix comprises a first set of parallel and equidistant conductive bars, referred to as x bars, situated in one and the same plane and each bearing along its length a multiplicity of flexible conductive selector pins implanted in a line at right angles to the said plane, and a second set of parallel and equidistant conductive bars, referred to as 2 bars, situated in a plane parallel to that of the at bars at right angles to these, each y bar possessing openings afiording unimpeded passage to the said selector pins and whose flange folded over at right angles to the longer dimension of the y bar forms a dihedron with the latter, into which the selector pin intended to establish the connection between two bars x and y is conveyed by longitudinal displacements of these and held under elastic flexing conditions during their return to the idle position.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, but in no restrictive sense.

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing the shape and relative layout of the co-or-dinate bars of a selector matrix according to the invention;

FIGS. 2a to 2e show the displacements of two co-ordinate bars which establish the engagement of a crosspoint;

FIGS. 3 to 6 show different devices applicable separately or in combination to damp the vibrations of a selector pin during its release following a disconnecting action.

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of three x bars 101, 102 and 103, and of a y bar 202, of a selector matrix according to the invention.

The x bars 101, 102 and 103 are parallel and equidistant, situated in one and the same plane and along their longitudinal axis and at right angles to their common plane bearing flexible equidistant pins of identical length, such as 111 and 121 for the bar 101, 112 and 122 for the bar 102, and 113, 123 for the bar 103. The flexible pins, such as 111, are made of conductive metal and are solidary both electrically and mechanically with the corresponding bars, themselves made of a conductive metal and apt to be either solid bars of rectangular cross-section, or channel sections, for example.

The y bar 202 forms part of a set of identical bars situated equidistantly to each other and at right angles to the bars 101 to 103 in a plane parallel to that of these x bars, at the side corresponding to their flexible selector pins or rods, such as those marked 111, 121. The bar 202 is made of a conductive metal, for example, in the form of an angle section possessing a flange situated in a plane parallel to that of the bars 101 to 103 and the other flange extending towards these latter. The flange of the bar 202 which extends at right angles to the planes of the x and y bars, has a notch cut in it in alignment with each x bar 101 to 103 in the form of a rectangular opening 21 to 23, bordered at one of its edges at right angles to the planes of the said bars by a tab 221 to 223, for example formed by the sheet metal flap cut out to form the corresponding opening, bent over at right angles at one side of the angle section 202. The edge of the angle section 202 which is closest to the bars 101 to 103 is spaced apart from the latter by approximately half the length of the selector pins 111, 121 in such manner that the extremities of the latter may be entrained resiliently in the dihedron formed by a flap 221 to 223 3 and the flange of the angle section from which each has been cut. The depth of the notches 21 to 23 is such that the freestanding extremity of the said selector pins passes freely through them when the bars 101 to 103 undergo a translatory displacement parallel to their axis.

FIGS. 20! to 2e show the consecutive stages of the engagement of a crosspoint of a selector matrix as described hereinabove. In each instance are shown three x bars 101, 102 and 103 .and three y bars 201, 202 and 203, the latter being sectioned along a plane parallel to that of the x bars and traversing the openings 21, 22 and 23 of the y bars.

FIG. 2a illustrates the bars 101, 102, 103 and the y bars 201, 202 and 203, in their idle position. It is apparent that the distance between two selector pins 111 and 121 of an x bar 101 is equal to the spacing between two bars 201 and 202, that the plane of the pins 111, 121 and 131 of an x bar 101 passes through the center of the openings, such as 21, of the y bars 201, 202 and 203, and that the selector pins, such as 121, 122, 123, are aligned equidistantly between the extremities of the tabs 211, 212 and 213 of the y bar 201 and the plane of the openings 21, 22 and 23 of the bar 202. For example, to bring the crosspoint between the x bar 102 and the y bar 202 into operation, the latter undergoes a translatory displacement parallel to its axis, taking the same to the position illustrated in FIG. 2b in which the opening 21 formerly aligned with the x bar 101 is brought into alignment with the x bar 102 and the latter immediately thereafter undergoes a translatory displacement parallel to its axis which conveys the selector pin 122 through the opening 21 into the median plane of the tabs 221 and 223 of the y bar 202, as apparent from FIG. 2c. The y bar 202 then returning to the idle position, the tab 222 bears against the selector pin 122 and bends the same in the direction of the bar 101 as apparent from FIG. 2d. The x bar 102 in its turn returning to the idle position, the selector pin 122 slides along the tab 222 and engages in the corner of the dihedron angle between the latter and the y bar 202 as apparent from FIG. 2e, assuring the connection between the x bar 102 and the y bar 202. To disconnect these bars, it is sufficient to impart another displacement outwards and back in the same direction as previously to the y bar 202 and the selector pin 122 escapes from the dihedron between the tab 222 and the bar 202 through the opening 21.

Since each crosspoint of a matrix of this kind assures a single contact only, it may be employed for switching telephonic circuits on several wires for example, one x bar and one y bar being co-ordinated with each wire of the incoming and outgoing circuits, respectively, and the x bars on the one hand and the y bars on the other hand which are allocated to the diflerent Wires of one and the same circuit are ganged mechanically to allow of their simultaneous actuation by means of one and the same electromagnets.

FIGS. 3 to 6 show different means of damping the vibrations of the selector pins during their egress through an opening, such as 21, during an operation to disconnect a y bar 202, caused by release from the bending stress applied by the latter. A first damping device illustrated in FIG. 3 consists of assuring the flexibility of the pin 111 by means of a coil spring having several turns of different diameters.

A second device illustrated in FIG. 4 consists of producing the x bars, such as 101, in the form of a channel section with limb portions of unequal length, whose wider flange acts as a base and centrally carries the selector pins, such as 111, and whose shorter flange of half the width of the longer flange, prevents the selector pin from passing beyond its position of equilibrium in the direction opposed to the curvature imposed on it by the tab 211 when the y bar 201 returns to the idle position during a connecting operation.

A third device illustrated in FIG. 5 consists of sheathing the part of the pin 111 which is not intended to provide an electrical contact, with a sleeve 1110 of plastic material.

A fourth device illustrated in FIG. 6 consists of employing paired flexible pins 111;, 111 as selector pins, which are contiguous in the idle position and during independent vibration, dissipate their vibratory energy in mutual impacts.

The means for displacing the co-ordinate bars is not represented in the drawings since it consists of conventional electromagnets.

What we claim is:

1. A co-ordinate selection switch comprising a first set of parallel and equidistant selection conductive bars situated in one and the same plane, said selection bars being selectively movable along their own length from an idle position to an operative position, a plurality of flexible conductive selector pins rigidly implanted at right angle to the said plane along each of said selection bars, a second set of parallel and equidistant hold conductive bars situated in a plane parallel to that of the first set of bars and at right angle to these latter, said hold bars being selectively movable along their own length from an idle position to an operative position, a plurality of openings in each of said hold bars opposite to the selection bar selector pins and oflering unobstructed passage thereto and a plurality of flaps respectively associated with said openings folded transversely to each of said hold bars and forming with the latter dihedrons into which definite selector pins may be conveyed by longitudinal displacement of both a selection bar and a hold bar, in which they may be held under resilient bending deformation and from which they may be egressed by longitudinal displacement of a hold bar.

2. A co-ordinate selection switch as set forth in claim 1 in which the selector pins each comprise a coil spring having several turns of different diameters near their implantation portion in the selection bar.

3. A co-ordinate selection switch as set forth in claim 1 in which the selection bars bear brackets in the form of channel sections having flanges of unequal length whose wider flange centrally carries a selector pin and whose shorter flange abuts against said selector pin.

4. A co-ordinate selection switch as set forth in claim 1 in which each selector pin comprises a plastic sleeve along its portion near its implantation in a selection bar.

5. A co-ordinate selection switch as set forth in claim 1 in which the selector pins are formed of two flexible wires contiguous therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,117,702 5/1938 Burwell 200l77 3,226,518 12/1965 Kobus. 3,255,318 6/1966 McKee 335112 X 3,316,512 4/1967 Vazquez et a1. 335-112 3,360,626 l2/ 1967 Vazquez 2001 X 3,387,108 6/1968 Reimer 200 FOREIGN PATENTS 752,622 7/ 1956 Great Britain.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner R. A. VANDERHYE, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 200166 

